National Republican., 1887-11-10
GOVERNMENT RECEIPTS.
Commissioner Miller Reports on the
Revenues of His Department.

SOIllnibbluDCF miller ItepOrtS on tn5
Revenues of His Department..
The report of the commissioner of inter
nal revenue has been transmitted to Secre-
tary Fairchild. It's printed document Of
l60pages, and gives full and detailed state
ment Of the operations of the internal reve-
nue. service during the last fiscal year, and
also during the first quarter OF the present
fiscal year.
The total receipts from all sources of In
ternal revenue for the fiscal year ended
June 30, 1887, were Sl1S,S29,523, as com
pared with SIG, 1909, 500 for the year 1885,
Sll2, ,42l ,l21 for the year 1885, $l2l 500, ,039
for the year 1884, sl44 ,553, ,344 for the year
1883, ana Sli6, 523, ,273 for the year 1882
II is estimated that the sum of Sl2),0O0
eco will be collected from the various
sources Of internal revenue during the cur
rent fiscal year, provided no changes are
made In the rate of taxation now imposed
by the internal revenue lawe.
1t was estimated In the last annual report
that the receipts for the last fsUa, year
would be not less than $llS, 100000. The
actual receipts for that period exec .ded the
estimate by $s29,523.
The total cost Of collection for the past
fiscal year, including salaries of officers,
&c, was 81 ,065, ,l39 being about per
cent. Of the amount collected. The cost
duiing the previous fiscal year was about
per cent. of the collections. The esti-
mated expenses for the next fiscal year
amount to - ,l25,2S0. There was a reduc.
tion Of forty in the clerical force of the bu-
reau during the past year. The force now
numbers 2Oi persons. An additional head
OF division and two messengers are asked
Tor to execute the provisions OF the oleo
margarine law. The general condition OF
the service Is reported to be good.
-Commissioner Miller renews his recon.
mendation OF last year IN regard to the tax.
alton OF fractional parts OF gallon Of dis
titled spirits. He also urges legislation au-
thoriziug the establishment OF special
bonded warehouses for the storage Of
brandy made from apples or peaches, or
ircm any fruit whose dislilation may be
authorized under the rules and regulations
which govern the distllation OF the fruits
named. He also recommends that the pro.
visions OF section 1855 OF the Revised
Statutes OF the United States be enlarged
SO ss to authorize the commissioner of in
teinal revenue. with the approval of the
Secretary of the Treasury, to permit the
distillation Of other fruits under the same
provisions which now govern the distilla-
tion OF apples, peaches, and grapes. Such
brandy, he says, should also be included ia
the warehousing act above recommended.
The great falling off In assessment Of
oVeruue taxes on distilled spirits, the report
says, is due to the fact that while at the be-
ginning Of the fiscal year 1886 there were
l0,sl2,1lS gallons of spirits iu distIllery
warehous e, the tax on which would be.
come due during the year under the terms
of the warehousing bonds, there were only
lO,70l, 1926 gallons Of such spirits In distil-
lery warehouses at the beginning of the
year 1887. As there were l2,7S5, ,297 gallons
of such spirits In bond at the beglnnng of
the present fiscal year some increase in as
sessments OF this character may be expected
during the year.
The quantity ef spirits (7',s3l 500 gallons)
produced and deposited In distillery ware
houses during the last fiscal year Is less
than the production (s0,3i4, $50 gallons) OF
the year 1886 by 2,5l2,75l gallons.
The act regulating the sale OF oleo-
margarine, says the commissioners, was 10
force during the last eight months of the
year, and the receipts under 1t aggregated
S723 ,0lS, of which S435, ,92i was on account
OF the general tax, $3l ZOO the special taxes
paid by manufacturers, $l0l 400 the special
taxes paid by wholesale dealers, aud $l54,-
g24 the special taxes paid by retail dealers
During the first four months of the present
fiscal year the tax amounted TO $326, 100,
making the total receipts for the first year,
in which the law has been IN force, upwards
of $950,000.